The MirrorMasters

Chapter 13

"You did what?" David exclaimed, clenching his fists, a look of shock and disbelief in his eyes. "You actually went after her? Leah, you could have been killed, or arrested!"

I sighed. As far as David was concerned, what I'd done was impulsive and irresponsible. He stood in my room before breakfast, both of us ready for work. Sitting cross-legged on my bed next to Cameron, I wrapped my arms around the dog at David's verbal onslaught. This time, I didn't glance down and back away from the confrontation, though. No, instead I held his gaze with determination. When Cameron nuzzled my hand then licked it with his soft, velvety tongue, I petted him and leaned down to whisper a thank you into his ear.

"Well, she was going after the key. I couldn't let her have it, not with what I know of her," I said, explaining all that happened the night before: how without that key, we'd never have the information we needed to figure out the prophecy or find where all the crystals needed to go, how Aedalina and this man — Brian's father? — were the ones who unleashed the disasters on that other world, and how Aedalina called him Lord Drake. "It's not just the key. All those spirits in the cemetery were trapped there by her, and that spell bound them to the Soul crystal. She has it, David, and I couldn't get the crystal from her to rescue them. I had to try — I couldn't just let their souls be drained, used for energy."

David sighed, his expression softening as he heard the reasons I had taken the risk to retrieve the key and the crystal. "Still, I wish you'd let me know what was happening and taken me along."

Relieved, I gave his shoulder a light squeeze. "Yeah, maybe I should have, but going into that situation was dangerous. I didn't want you getting hurt or in trouble. That was a risk I had to take, not you."

David shook his head. "Small wonder that I worry about you. You're the one with a knack for trouble. Please, no more getting yourself into these situations alone, okay?"

"Sure, I understand, but...there was no choice. She's got powers, and she's so strong. I barely managed to escape her wrath. I'd be terrified if you were there, too, that something might happen to you."

"Listen, with everything going on, I'm outright scared for you whenever I let you out of my sight. I want to be there for you. If they've involved Jenny in this, all the more reason why we need to fight for you both. Even if we can't fight them like you can, we can still help." David rested a hand on my shoulder, seeking comfort as much as giving it.

"Okay. I just wish there were a protection crystal for all of you."

****

When I arrived at the Wharf at lunchtime, Brian was finishing up with a customer at the bakery, preparing a bag of gourmet cookies. The scent of fresh baked bread and delicious pastries filled my nostrils. Brian's eyes lit up as I walked through the door. He handed off the change and the bag of cookies, then signed off the register so he could go on break. Emerging from behind the counter, he made his way over and enfolded me in a hug, which I returned tightly.

"Can I talk to you about something for a minute before we meet the others?"

"Let's go out back." He led me outside, where we could talk privately. As he met my gaze and took in my tired, stressed state, his eyes filled with concern. "Has someone been bugging you? Your family?"

"No. Not yet, anyway." I bit my lip. It was only a matter of time, my one hope being that I'd be gone before Lord Drake and Aedalina got around to making house calls. One thing at a time, I told myself, and I finally managed to gather enough courage to speak. "This may sound kind of weird, but last night, I had an odd dream — a dream about the cemetery. A hundred spirits were there, and they were bound to a crystal called the Soul crystal. They thought they would be free when a ritual done on the anniversary — the night you moved in — was complete, but they weren't. Their souls are being drained by that crystal, for their power. That's what actually happened that night, not some prank or party. Jenny was part of that ritual, and now her soul is bound to it, too."